LEWISTON — The Lewiston Maineiacs’ ever-changing lineup will get another jolt this week as the team plays its final two regular-season games.

Antoine Houde-Caron, one of the team’s top defensive forwards and also a 40-point scorer, will sit the final two games of the season after the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League decided Monday on a two-game suspension for the skater.

“It’s been tough, having Sam Finn out with an injury for a while, and now to lose Houde-Caron, that’s not good,” Maineiacs’ coach J.F. Houle said. “The good news is that both players are still able to skate, and both of them will be ready for the playoffs.”

Officials whistled Houde-Caron for an elbowing penalty in the first period of Sunday’s game against Gatineau, assessed him a five-minute major and ejected him from the game.

The league sent out its notice of suspension Monday, giving Houde-Caron two additional games, effectively ending his regular season.

“On the PK, he’s one of the best in the league,” Houle said. “And defensively overall, he’s one of the guys I like to try and put out there against the other teams’ top lines. He’s a big piece of the puzzle.”

In another blow to the team’s depth, Cole Hawes is done for the season after reaggravating a hand injury that required surgery and caused the 17-year-old winger to miss nearly two months earlier this season. Hawes sufferd the most recent setback Sunday in a fight.

On the positive side, the team will likely welcome Matthew Bissonnette back into the fold this weekend. He’s been sidelined with an undisclosed upper-body injury, but Houle said he expects the winger to skate in game action on the road this weekend.

Lewiston’s final two games before the playoffs are Friday in Baie-Comeau and Sunday in Chicoutimi.